Clockwork fuze



Jan. 24, 1967 H. JUNGHANS ETAL 3,299,814

CLOCKWORK FUZE Filed Feb. 2l, 1964 lvToRl aus Je/- wie s mMMn w3. Jaw. 1.8.@ l 1F m w 2mW 1 HQ United. States Patent O M' The invention relates to a clockwork fuze for projectiles with axially arranged torsion restoring spring for the balance wheel. In the known constructions, the torsion spring, which is mostly arranged in a guide tube which also accommodates the outer spring anchorage, is located between the upper work plate of the clockwork mechanism and the point of the detonator. As a yresult other devices are deprived of space, thus, for example,

the sensitive percussion arrangement which then has to be displaced to one side in spite of the functional disadvantages resulting therefrom. Setting out from the conventional arrangement, the inventor proposes to arrange the torsion spring so that it extends from the clockwork to the base of the projectile. As a result the building spa-ce between the upper work plate and the detonator point is kept free for other elements, for example, for a sensitive percussion arrangement which can then be accommodated in the -usual way. Arranging the torsion spring so that it is directed towards the base, also has the advantage that the spring is not subjected to tension by the forces due to inertia` when ring.

The torsion spring is, .as a rule, arranged in the axis of the detonator, in any case in connection with rifled projectiles, the usual guide tube can, according to another feature of the invention, be constructed and arranged at the same time as guide tube for the ignition ash.

For `the accommodation of the balance wheel there are two possibilities available: it can be .arranged ber tween the bottom and next following work plate or be- `become apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing and from the claim. Inthe drawing FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through the fuze;

FIG. 2 11a cross-section taken on the plane II-II of FIG. 1, showing a closing device for the detonator canal, and

FIG. 3 a side elevation of a modification of the arrangement for direct percussion ignition.

The fuze illustrated in the drawing is of the direct percussion'type. For the sake of simplicity only those elements of the percussion arrangement and clockwork mechanism are shown which are necessary for understanding the invention. The clockwork mechanism 11 is inserted in a depression or recess a in the fuze base 10. The 4fuze cap 12, which can be turned on the base 10 for setting the time of the clockwork mechansm, is mounted over the clockwork mechanism. The balance wheel 14 i-s accommodated in ya recess 13a in the `bottom plate 13 of the clockwork mechanism, its

3,299,814 Patented Jan. 24, 1967 ICC rear bearing being designated by 15 and its front bearing by 16, `while 14a designates the balance wheel arbor. One end of a torsion spring 17 is lixed axially in the balance wheel arbor 14a. It is surrounded by a guide tube 18 in the free end of which the rear spring anchor age 19 is fitted. The front end of the guide tube 18 is screwed `into a sleeve 20 which in turn is inserted in an aperture in the bottom work plate 13. The guide tube 18 extends through a bore 10b in the fuze base 10. This bore 10b has a widened portion 10c at the base of the fuze.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS, 1 and 2, a laterally displaced primer pellet 21 is pierced by a spring striker pin 22 which is depressed by the impact plunger 23. The transverse locking pin is designated by 24 which is located under the spring pin 22 and for example controlled by the clockwork. The ignition ash from the primer pellet 21 passes through the bores 13a, 25a, 10d and 10c, to a detonator cap or propagation charge not shown on the drawing.

The closing of the detonator canal is effected by a catch lever 25 which is mounted in a recess 10e in the fuze base 10 below the bottom plate 13 of the clocki work mechanism. The catch lever 25 is controlled by a notched arbor 26 which engages a nose 25h on the catch lever 25. A bore 25a is provided in the other end of this lever and in ignition position forms part of the detonator canal, whereas in locked position (shown in broken lines in FIG. 2) the lever 25 interrupts the detonation channel between the bores 13a and 10d.

In the modication shown in FIG. 3, the striker pin 123 directly pierces the priming cap 121. The priming cap 121 is .accommodated in a slide 124 which is controlled by the clockwork mechanism or brought into detonation position by centrifugal force. The detonation canal commences at 124e at the side of the priming pellet or cap and continues in the bore 125a of the work plate 125 accommodating the front balance wheel bearing, up to the balance wheel 14 and to the detonation `canal section 13a described in connection with FIG. 1.

The arrangement of the torsion spring according to the invention can be used to rifled projectiles but also in projectiles without rifling with centrifugal force or spring operation.

What is claimed is:

Clockwork fuze for projectiles comprising a base member, ya clockwork mechanism mounted on the base member and having a bottom plate, a guide tube secured to the bottom plate and extending axially away from the clockwork mechanism into the base member, and `a torsion spring `connected at one end in the clockwise mechanism and the other end extending into the guide tube.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,149,470 3/ 1939 Schenk 102-84 2,226,669 12/ 1940 Perrenoud 10.284 2,384,252 9/ 1945 Honger 102-84 FOREIGN PATENTS 616,969 1/ 1949 Great Britain.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

G. H. GLANZMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

